§ Mr. RowlandsTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the(a) volume and (b) value of imported garments for retail sale in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [106923]
§ Mr. Alan JohnsonIn the 12 months to October 1999, the UK imported apparel and clothing accessories worth £7,611 million. Within this total, it is not possible separately to identify imports for retail sale. Information, in volume terms, is available only for clothing and footwear. In the 12 months ended October 1999, imports of clothing and footwear, in 1995 prices, were 44 per cent. higher than in 1995.